Ever since Eddie said that to Iris I kept thinking of the ways she made her feelings for Barry obvious to everyone but herself. These are one shots of different scenarios I imagine when thinking about what Eddie meant. This is not beta, so any mistakes are on me.
Iris was at home giving herself a pedicure. She was about to start painting her nails when Eddie walked in with Joe. Eddie walked toward Iris who was sitting on the couch.
"Hey baby."
"Hey dad." Joe leaves to shower.
"Iris"
"Hi babe."
"Let me do that for you." He said excited to do something with his girlfriend.
"Do you even know how to paint nails?"
"Of course, how hard could it be, please let me try." He said taking the nail polish from her.
"Eddie that's not how you do it. It's from top to bottom, not back and forth."
"Oh Ok."
Iris winced when he painted the skin around it. "Maybe I should do it." She said reaching for the nail polish in his hand. He pulls away.
"No, it was one slip." He cleans it off and continues onto the next toenail.
"Babe, thanks for trying but I got it." She says when he messes up again.
"No, I can do it."
Barry walks in. Iris smiles brightly at the sight of her best friend. Eddie tries not to notice but it's hard not to, why didn't she smile that bright when he arrived.
"Oh thank god. Barry please fix this disaster, no offense honey."
Barry looks at Iris toenails and winced.
"Barry really." Says Eddie. "He paints your nails?"
"I have you know that Barry is an expert on painting nails."
"Thanks Iris," said Barry feeling proud. Was it wrong to feel good that he was good at something that Eddie wasn't.
"Bare has been doing my nails since we were teens."
"Are you serious."
Hey, If I had to be his lab assistant to his many home experiments, then he can me my pedicurist. He's the only guy I trust to paint my nails right." She turns and gives him a puppy dog look.
"Please bear."
Eddie gives up and moves.
Barry sights how can he resist her, that's right he can't. Barry takes off his coat and hangs in the coat hangers and goes to sits where Eddie was.
He grabs Iris leg puts them over his. Barry was trying really hard to not stare at her bare legs, but they were such beautiful legs. He takes a deep breath and goes to work. He erases Eddie's disaster and starts carefully applying her toenails with so much skill and finesse that Eddie is impressed.
Painting Iris toenails has been a tradition ever since Iris starting doing girl stuff in their tweens and she couldn't afford a professional pedicure, and later when she simply didn't have time to wait at the nail salon. She would do it herself with Barry almost always painting her toenails.
As Barry painted her nails Eddie observe them and couldn't help but feel left out. They look at smile at each other talking about their day's events like they hadn't spoken on the phone that morning. All of a sudden it was like he wasn't even there. They were just in their own little world. How can he compete with that?
"Ta-da." Said Barry in triumph.
Iris clap excited. "Thanks bear, you're the best."
"Wow that's pretty good." Barry and Iris looked at him like they just notice that he was there.
Iris turns to Barry. "How about macaroni and cheese for dinner." Barry face brightens.
Iris couldn't help but think how beautiful his smile was.